


a heart weighted with damascus steel

by miscellanium



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Agender Character, Complicated Relationships, Gen, Pre-Series, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-17 17:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3538475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miscellanium/pseuds/miscellanium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Let's say Shingo's mother is out of the picture. His pendant is hers, as are Akaba Reiji's earrings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a heart weighted with damascus steel

**Author's Note:**

> so far shingo's in-series age hasn't been confirmed; while he could be 15, here i've chosen to work with 14 against akaba's 16 for a two year difference.

Sawatari Shingo, aged ten, looked up at his father and asked, Where's mom?

It's just the two of us now, kid. Mr. Sawatari crouched down, smile wide and practiced. We'll have fun, yeah?

Shingo stared at him, at the bags under his eyes, and didn't say yes.

Mr. Sawatari's smile stiffened but stayed in place. Dad's got to go shake a lot of hands today; are you sure you don't want to come with me again? I'll be out late, he added even though they both already knew this.

Will anyone famous be there?

Ha, not this time. He ruffled Shingo's hair and said, Some of her things are still in her room. Take whatever you want, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?

\----

One afternoon a few weeks after that day the Akabas come over for tea and political strategizing, the adults conversing in low tones as their children wander from room to room. Reiji and Shingo have done this before, used each other to pass the time, but here in this prelude to the hormone rush years the space between their ages is starting to widen. Unimpressed by Shingo's collection of the newest and most popular toys, Reiji doesn't bother hiding their boredom. They've always been impatient, purple eyes razor-bright with a desire to know and understand all secrets, but now it feels different, more personal, as though Shingo is being asked to prove something. Unsure what to do, he pulls out a small box tied shut with a blue ribbon. The novelty of it, he thinks, might be a way to keep those eyes on him.

Shingo opens the box to show Reiji a pair of diamond-shaped earrings, made of some dark metal neither of them can identify; they're heavy in his hand and the weight makes them feel valuable.

Aren't they cool? I’m gonna wear these in memory of mom, he proclaims, holding them up to his ears. His father hears this through the open door and hurries over, face tight.

Don’t do that, Mr. Sawatari says, voice falling into a loud whisper as he grabs Shingo's arms. Do you know how much work it took so people wouldn’t make a fuss about you saying you’re a boy? You know I love you and you can do anything you want, just not that, please. The necklace is bad enough already.

As Shingo swings between baffled and infuriated Reiji looks at him like a jigsaw rearranged before turning to his father and saying, dead serious: I’m not a boy, if that’s what matters. I’ll wear them. Even with its prepubescent pitch Reiji’s voice carries a hard authority. Shingo drops the earrings into their outstretched palm without a word.

After a while Shingo figures Reiji was too busy, or forgot, and so he forgets as well. Then one day, years later, Akaba shows up with ears freshly pierced, flesh fading red, and Shingo meets their gaze and can't think of anything to say.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading. please leave kudos and/or comments if you can, they mean a lot to me


End file.
